Re: Beginner's Questions

"jk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]

> "A. L. H." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]

[...]

>    Yellow pages..... GLASS, STAINED and LEADED. Your local SG retailer
is
> the best place to learn and get your stuff, and they really need your
> busines. Good luck!

> JK Sinrod NY
> Sinrod Stained Glass
> www.sinrodstudios.com

They may "really need" your business, yes, but I think most here can
attest to the fact that there are "good" local retailers and
"bad"--indeed, horrid--local retailers.  I live about 15 miles from a
decent-sized (pop. ~500K) city, and the dominant retailer there (there
are only two; one's quite small) gouges customers on everything from
class fees to materials/equipment/tools.  I do much, much better buying
on the 'net, and better yet when I occasionally tag along with a friend
who can buy from a wholesaler who's about 50 miles away.  As for
classes, you might check with some local art centers (the one in my
community offers a variety of art classes, including at least one SG
class each quarter) and/or community colleges.  You *might* be slightly
better off taking an introductory course from a retailer, if only
because they likely have a variety of tools/equipment available for
students' use/testing.  (This isn't true about the exploitative retailer
I mentioned; they, for example, only carry Toyo cutters.)

Speaking for the consumer,
JG